BURSTOn June 20, Babsi Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher completed the first free ascent of Next Generation, an open project on the west face of Zwölferkopf in Austria’s Rätikon massif.
The six-pitch route, established in 2018 by Christian Fritz, Pio Jutz, Klaus Müller, and Christof Thaler, features an 5.14a crux pitch that the original team couldn’t free-climb, leaving it as an open challenge.
In 2022, Zangerl and Larcher scoped out the route for a day, returning last week for a serious attempt. After a day refining the cruxes, they freed it, grading it 5.12, 5.13, 5.14a, 5.12, 5.13, 5.11.
Zangerl and Larcher are a renowned climbing duo, often dubbed the sport’s power couple. Both elite big-wall free climbers, they’ve sent iconic routes like El Capitan’s Freerider—Zangerl flashing it in 2024, a historic first—and Magic Mushroom. Known for their versatility across trad, sport, and bouldering, they share a passion for big challenges.
The post New Six-Pitch 5.14 Climbed in Austria appeared first on Gripped Magazine.